More work to do to ensure Lansdowne is ready for thousands of fans

There's still work to be done ahead of July 18th to ensure the first home game of the Ottawa Redblacks goes smoothly.

That's the message from the Lansdowne Transportation Monitoring and Operations Committee following Wednesday's open house at the stadium for ticket holders.

Capital Ward Councillor David Chernushenko told CFRA even though they've been promoting bus service and cycling to Lansdowne, not everyone was getting the message during the official opening Wednesday.

"We've been trying to get the message out for weeks, if not months now," he said. "If you don't already have a VIP box-holding parking pass underground, there is no parking at the site. You still had people coming in saying 'where do I park?' We know we've got to keep spreading that message."

He did say, however, there were a fair number of people who did test out alternate means of transportation to the site.

"The percentage of people was 35 to 40 per cent of attendees came using some form of OC Transpo, STO from Gatineau, shuttles, park and rides," he said. "If that percentage holds true for the 24,000 event on July 18th, that's great. That is the target."

He said by-law officers will strictly be enforcing parking on side streets during events at TD Place.

Crews will also put out better signage to indicate where people should be locking up their bicycles and will complete the sidewalk in front of Lansdowne before next Friday, in the hopes that fewer pedestrians will be jay-walking across the street from the Bank Street Bridge.